Best Travel Games For Couples
If you’re going travelling, whether it’s backpacking or roadtripping, you’ll need something to pass the time during those quieter periods, for when you’re waiting for a flight in the airport or to check in at the next hostel.
Travel games are the best way to occupy this time, and not only that, they’re also a great way to meet other people while on the road.
If you’re sitting in a hostel, inviting somebody over to play a game of cards is an easy icebreaker.
Travel Games are also great for couples who want to take a moment to relax. Travelling can be exhausting, so taking an hour to sit and play a game can be a great way to switch off and recharge your batteries.
All these games require at least 2 players - so grab your partner, grab a new friend at the hostel bar, and play our best travel games for the road.
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Travel Games for Couples at a Glance
| Travel Game for Couples | Our Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Popular and well-known | Exploding Kittens |
| Popular and lesser-known | Backpacker |
| Romantic Travel Game for Couples | Let's Get Deep |
Travel Games that you’ve probably heard of before
So we’re going to start with the travel games you’ve probably heard of before, but that doesn’t make them any less essential for travelling.
Bananagrams
Of all the games on this list, Bananagrams is probably the one where being a native English speaker will benefit you. All the other games are universal, whereas speaking English as a first language is definitely going to be advantageous in Bananagrams.
What will also help is the ability to spell very quickly and think sharply. Bananagrams is made up of hundreds of lettered tiles, and the aim of the game is to arrange all of the tiles into a crossword. The winner is the first player to complete all of their tiles in a crossword formation.
It’s fast-paced, makes you think on your feet, and is a great travel game for couples. Bringing along Bananagrams or one of the other games on this list is one of our best road trip tips for couples - travel games are an excellent addition to any road trip!
Uno
It’s one of those games that can be easily overlooked, but everybody enjoys playing it as soon as the cards are out.
If you’re not familiar with Uno, it’s a card game with 4 different coloured cards, and the objective of the game is to have all of your cards on the table before your opponents. The game's premise is simple, but throw in a few shady +4 cards, and there will be a little animosity in no time.
Uno is a great travel game for couples as it can be learned in no time; it’s not super competitive and can easily pass a few hours while you’re waiting at a bus station for the overnight coach to the next destination on your trip.
Yahtzee
In Yahtzee, you have 5 dice and a card full of objectives. As a player, you want to complete as many of the objectives on the card while scoring as highly as possible.
You roll all 5 dice at once and the holy grail of the game is to score a YAHTZEE. This is when you roll 5 of the same number. You get a whopping 50 points for this, and no doubt you’ll end up winning the round.
Yahtzee isn’t quite as fast-paced as some of the other games on this list, but can be pretty tactical at times. So this game is definitely suited to those who prefer a slower, more methodical travel game.
You can also play online Yahtzee when traveling. You don’t have to carry dice around, and you can play against other players and the computer.
Rummikub - Best Travel Board Game for 2 Players
Rummikub is our favourite travel board game for 2 players, we are absolutely obsessed with it! This game is traditionally played with large tiles and racks spread out over a table, but did you know it comes in a handy travel-sized version, too?
Rummikub has the same objective as the card game rummy, but it uses tiles in place of the cards. The aim is to get rid of all your tiles before the other player/s by placing your tiles in numbered groups or in a numbered sequence. I.e. placing 3-4-5-6 down all in the same colour or placing 8-8-8 in different colours.
It’s very tactical and takes a little bit of getting used to, but once you’ve mastered the game, you’ll find yourself doing crazy 20-tile moves in order to place one tile on the board.
Catan - the card game version
The highly popular Settlers of Catan board game has been around for as long as Ticket 4 Two Please has been alive - since 1995. In that time, it has become one of the most popular strategy board games on the market and has a mass cult following around the world.
You will undoubtedly have played, or at least heard of, Catan in the past. This is why we were so excited when we realised there was a card game version that you can take anywhere!
Catan the card game is a fast-paced game that couples can play together - the premise is still the same as the original game: to be the first to acquire 10 victory points.
Travel Scrabble
This game is an absolute classic and can be used for hours on end. The rules are very easy to get the hang of and you have to simply make words from your tiles while trying to score as many points as possible.
Scrabble is a game that has been around for a very long time, but that doesn’t make it any less relevant, and the travel Scrabble edition is a brilliant game for couples to play on a road trip.
Travel Trivia Quiz Game
There is no better way to learn about the world you’re visiting than to play a trusty travel trivia game while travelling. The Ridley’s version of the travel quiz comes with handy, travel-sized cards so you can pick a card at random and challenge your partner’s world knowledge.
Travel trivia games are one of the best travel games for couples because, after all, there is no point travelling to all these amazing places unless you pick up a little bit of world knowledge along the way.
Travel-sized Magnetic Ludo
Most people are familiar with the game Ludo but these magnetic, mini-sized version of the game makes it perfect for travelling and taking with you on long journeys.
The premise is pretty simple - based on a traditional Indian game called Pachisi, the idea of the game is to get all of your pieces around the board before your opponent can do so. Though traditionally, one player takes control of one colour, it can get really interesting as a couple when each of you tries to control two separate colours. It gets hectic really quickly!
The best thing about this version of Travel Ludo is that it is magnetic - meaning all your pieces won’t go flying when you’re playing on a long bus journey.
Travel Games that you’ve probably not heard of before
In this section, we’re going to outline the travel games that you’ve probably not heard of - these games are equally as fun as the first section but haven’t quite gained as much global popularity yet.
A unique travel game is one of those great gifts for couples that travel as you can always expect time to play games when you’re travelling.
Exploding Kittens
This game has gained a lot of popularity over the last few years, but not everyone has yet to hear about it, hence why it’s made the ‘travel games you’ve probably not heard of’ section of our list.
It is a highly strategic, highly tense game where players draw cards from the middle deck. The aim of the game is to avoid the exploding kittens cards while making sure you can defend yourself if you do happen to stumble across one.
Of all the games on our list, Exploding Kittens is definitely one of the games that actually makes for a better game when you have more players. The level of suspense certainly gets ramped up a notch when you add more people.
So get yourself Exploding Kittens, grab a few friends while you’re backpacking around, and try to stay as calm as possible when you eventually get the dreaded exploding card.
Dobble/Spot It
This travel game has different names depending on where you come from - the UK version is Dobble whereas in the US it is known as Spot It. The actual game itself is still played in the exact same way though.
Dobble is perhaps the most simple game on this list which is particularly great for when you’re travelling long distances and you’re tired, but you still want to occupy yourselves before you catch that next flight or wait for that bus to pick you up.
There are 55 cards in the deck and each contain 8 different logos, shapes or pictures. Depending on which of the 8 variations of the game you play, you will then have to match the card in your hand with the card on the table.
Backpacker - The Ultimate Travel Game
A competitive card game based on travelling the world and all the eventualities that can happen when you travel.
If there was ever a game perfect for travelling, it is this one! You can conjure up all travelling scenarios, good and bad, in this backpacker-friendly travel game.
Backpacker is a great game and essential for anybody searching for a great travel game for couples or to be used by more than one person.
The Fuzzies
This is a relatively new travel game that is great for two adults but can happily be played in a small group. Despite it being a new game, The Fuzzies is actually modelled on the cult-classic Jenga.
The aim of The Fuzzies is precisely the same as Jenga: when it’s your go, you must remove a ‘fuzzie’ and place it on the top of the stack. Each fuzzie is removed using a pair of tongs and has a mini magnet inside so you can reattach it on the top.
As with Jenga, you continue until the Fuzzie Tower topples, and the game ends. It is a brilliant travel game for couples because it adds slightly more jeopardy than Jenga and is a brilliant twist on the favourite.
Mapominoes
A game that is perfect for those with wanderlust, as you get to play a game while dreaming of all the different countries you want to explore next.
In Mapominoes, you are given cards of every country on a specific continent; for this example, we’ll say Europe, and you have to try and place as many of the countries on the table as possible by using the borders of the countries in real life.
It doesn't sound very easy, but trust us, you don’t need any prior knowledge of geography to play this. Everything is labelled on the cards already, so you need to be able to figure out your strategy and get placing those cards.
The great thing about this game is that you can get additional continental packs until you have all the countries of the world in your arsenal. Brilliant for couples that love to travel and want to learn more about the world they are exploring.
Did you know? You can combine the original Mapominoes Europe Edition with expansion packs like the Asia and Australia Mapominoes so you’re able to build up a collection of the entire world!
3UP 3DOWN
Another card game that, at its most basic level, requires players to get rid of all their cards before their opponent does the same.
The difference with 3UP 3DOWN, is that 3 of your cards remain face down on the table until you can get rid of the cards in your hands. This means choosing tactically which cards you will place on the table before the beginning of each round - you don’t want to be stuck with cards you don’t want.
Monopoly Deal
Ok so you probably have heard of this one - Monopoly is one of the most famous games ever created. It has been the cause of a major argument in every household up and down the land.
But did you know there is a Monopoly card game too?
Monopoly Deal, takes the premise of the original game but in a travel-friendly, portable manner. The idea is to gain as many properties as possible, like the original, but the winner is the player to hold 3 complete sets of properties at once.
The great thing about Monopoly Deal is that it’s all the fun of the original Monopoly, but it doesn’t take 3 hours to play. It is a perfect game for playing on the floor of an airport when your plane has been further delayed by 3 more hours!
Codenames Duet
Some of you may be familiar with the game Codenames, where you place down a number of cards and have to describe the words on the cards to your team. The trick is to describe the words in ways that your team could guess more than one card at a time.
For example, if there were the words ‘snow’, ‘skiing’ and ‘season’ on the board, I’d maybe say ‘winter for 3’ to describe them in the hope they would identify all 3 cards. Now, if you’ve ever played Codenames before, you will appreciate that it only really works when you are playing with at least 4 people.
This is why the developers have released Codenames Duet so you can now work together as a couple and play the game by yourselves.
This time around, you must work together in order to collect all the cards before time runs out. Make sure you avoid that mischievous Assassin card!
This game will take a few attempts to get used to, but once you’re into the swing of things you’ll be addicted in no time.
Our Favourite Travel Games For Couples
So you’ve come here with the intention of getting a travel game for couples and having read the list of great options above, you’re probably wondering which one to choose.
Our favourite from the ‘travel games you’ve probably heard of’ category is Bananagrams. It’s the most versatile of the games, is fast-paced, and the game arguably gets better with the addition of more players.
Our favourite from the ‘travel games you’ve probably not heard of’ category is Mapominoes. It is a game that is ideally suited to people who love to travel - you get to learn about the make-up of continents around the world while gripped in a tactical battle with your opponent.
Romantic Travel Games for Adult Couples
Now we’re going to give you a few suggestions for some romantic travel games for adult couples - these travel games are great for couples wanting to get to know each other a little bit better.
Let’s Get Deep
Let’s Get Deep is a travel game that is brilliant for couples wanting to find out even more about each other while you’re on the road.
There are 3 levels of intimacy for the questions - ice breaker, deep and deeper. As you can imagine, the further into the questions you go, the more you will discover about each other!
Keep playing to take your relationship to the next level!
Let’s Get Deep (After Dark Edition)
Let’s Get Deep (After Dark Edition) is the expansion pack for the original Let’s Get Deep and is a brilliant travel game for adults who want to add a little bit of spice to their games while they travel.
Remember that to play the After Dark Edition, you need to already own the original Let’s Get Deep.
Best Travel Games for a Road Trip
‘Never Have I ever’
Most people have heard of this one as a drinking game but you can easily play it while you’re travelling to pass some time on those pesky 8-hour coach trips.
In case you aren’t familiar with the rules, here’s a brief rundown:
Player A begins with a statement of something they haven’t done before by saying, ‘Never have I ever…’
If Player B has done the action in question, they lose one of their lives. Player B then responds with a statement starting ‘Never have I ever’.
The winner of the game is the player who remains with life intact.
Who am I?
Nice and straightforward game this - Player A thinks of a person, either dead or alive, and then Player B asks questions to guess who Player A is thinking of.
Player A can only answer ‘yes or no’ to the questions, so ask strategically. Count how many questions it takes in order to guess the person correctly, then swap roles. The winner is the player who guesses correctly while asking the least number of questions.
Long road-trips are perfect for travel games
Categories
You probably played this one while you were young, but it can easily be played while travelling to pass hour after hour while you wait for that delayed flight.
Player A thinks of a category, let’s say ‘Countries of the World.’
Player B then begins by saying a country beginning with the letter ‘A’ - Afghanistan, for example
Player A then follows up with the letter ‘B’ - Bhutan. You continue this until you reach the end of the alphabet
The player with the least amounts of passes wins the round and picks the next category
Word Association Game
Another example of a great road trip game to play in the car, the word association game, sometimes called ‘Degrees of Separation’ is a game that will force you and your partner to think creatively in order to win.
Player A picks 2 random things, e.g. ‘Planets’ and ‘Presents’
Player B then has to link the two elements in as few connections as possible
In our example, you could go ‘Planets - The Sun - Newspaper - Wrapping paper - Presents’, making a total of 5 connections
Player B then chooses 2 random elements for Player A to link. Once again, the winner is the player who can link the elements in the fewest connections.
Wordsmith
Wordsmith is similar in premise to the word association game but more quickfire and involves back-and-forth exchanges between both players.
Player A picks a starting word, and then Player B responds as quickly as possible with an associated word.
Player A responds with a word of their own, and the exchanges continue until one player takes too long to think of a word or comes up with a word that isn’t very well connected.
Best Online Travel Games
Sometimes, when you’re travelling, you will have access to the internet and fancy playing a game to pass the time. Here are just a few suggestions for some of the best online travel games.
Backgammon-Online
Backgammon is a very popular board game across the globe, but did you know you can play it online too? The online version of Backgammon is a digital adaptation of the classic strategy game where players compete to move their pieces across the board and bear them off. The game features:
Multiplayer functionality, allowing players to compete against friends or other online opponents.
Adjustable difficulty levels to cater to players of different skill levels.
Interactive tutorials and guides to help players learn and improve their gameplay.
Real-time chat functionality for social interaction during gameplay.
Customisable board designs and themes to personalise the gaming experience.
Detailed statistics and leaderboards to track progress and compare performance.
Cribbage-Online
Cribbage is a popular card that was developed in the early 17th Century and continues to be a popular travel game all across the globe today. Cribbage is a game where players strategically play and combine cards to score points and aim to reach a target score (121) and is available online with features such as:
Multiplayer functionality allows players to compete against friends or other online opponents.
Interactive tutorials and guides to help players learn the rules and strategies of the game.
Bringing travel games with you while travelling is a great way to survive as a couple in hostels. Hostels are going to be the main accommodation option for most, so having some games to play is definitely going to help you out.
We hope you’ve found this best travel games for couples guide helpful. Be sure to check out the rest of our blog for more travel tips for couples to help you while you’re on the road.
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